November 19th, 1967, Chaplain Charles Watters receives Medal of Honor

[David]

For action this date, Chaplain (Major) Charles Watters of the 173rd Airborne Brigade is awarded the Medal of Honor. Chaplain Watters was serving with the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry when it conducted an attack against North Vietnamese forces entrenched on Hill 875 during the Battle of Dak To.

The Catholic priest from New Jersey moved among the paratroopers during the intense fighting, giving encouragement and first aid to the wounded. At least six times he left the defensive perimeter with total disregard regard for his own personal safety to retrieve casualties and take them for medical attention. Once he was satisfied that all of the wounded were inside the perimeter, he busied himself helping the medics, applying bandages, and providing spiritual strength and support.

According to reports filed by survivors of the battle, Father Watters was on his knees giving last rites to a dying soldier when an American bomber accidentally dropped a 500-pound bomb onto the group of paratroopers. Father Watters was killed instantly. He was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor on November 4, 1969, in a ceremony at the White House.

[frisco-kid]

PFC. Lozada was a machine gunner for one of the platoons of A company. Earlier the same day [19NOV67] A company was cut off from companies C and D and was on the verge of being over-run. They spend hours fighting their way uphill to consolidate with the other two companies that have been fought to a stand still and forced to form a tight perimeter. They were taking heavy casualties as they fight their way up the hill. The NVA were trying to out flank them to cut them off and annihilate the company. At one point, PFC. Lozada sets up his machine gun on a trail and lays down a field of deadly fire, holding the NVA at bay long enough for the rest of his platoon to continue up the hill to join the other two companies. His position is eventually over run and he is killed before he can join his platoon. He was 21 yrs. old.

PFC Carlos Lozada was also awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor for his actions on Hill 875 that day. As far as I know, this is the only time that there were two CMOH recipients to come out of one battle in VN.